Indian football team head coach should be an Indian in future: Manolo Marquez

NEW DELHI: Becoming the Indian football team head coach is a "dream come true" for Manolo Marquez but the Spaniard on Sunday candidly said that it will be better if an Indian manages the national side in future.

The 55-year-old Marquez was last month appointed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) as national men's team head coach in place of Igor Stimac for a tenure of three years.

During the 2024-25 season, Marquez will also continue his role as FC Goa head coach, managing both club and national team responsibilities concurrently. He will then take on the Indian team's coaching role full-time from 2025 onwards.

"Apart from Spain, India is the country where I have spent the most number of years. Long time ago, I thought I would like to be a national team head coach and I am here. It is a dream come true," Marquez said while addressing his first press conference after his appointment as India head coach.

"In the future, the national team coach has to be an Indian because he (Indian) will know better how the country works, knows the people of different parts of India. So, this has to be the target of Indian football in the coming years," he added.

Marquez has been in India since 2020, having had three successful seasons with the Hyderabad FC and another season (2023-24) with FC Goa (3rd place finish in the ISL).

His first international assignment will be the three-team Intercontinental Cup which is being hosted by India in Hyderabad from September 3-9. Syria and Mauritius are the other two teams in the tournament.

After that he will be in charge of the team at the VFF Tri-Nation Series to be played in Vietnam from October 9-15. Lebanon is the other country in that tournament besides hosts Vietnam and India. Both the tournaments are during the FIFA international match window.

The national camp for the Intercontinental Cup is set to start from August 30 or 31.

On the possible conflict of interest as he will be India head coach and FC Goa manager simultaneously till the end of 2024-25 season, Marquez said, "It's not a normal situation, no doubt, but it's not the first time and won't be the last time regarding this situation.

"I checked, in international level, there were big names earlier in same situation and in India, I am told there were many (such cases) earlier.

"National team plays when there is no ISL. You won't have any doubt that we will work very hard for the national team."

Target is 2027 Asian Cup

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Having failed to make it to the third round of the joint 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers under Stimac, India are yet to qualify for the continental showpiece. The team will have to play in the qualifying round of the 2027 Asian cup from March next year onwards.

"The target is to improve the level of Indian football -- individually as players as well as a team. No doubt, that will not be immediate but will take time," said the experienced coach who has managed several lower division sides in the Spanish league.

"Our target is to win every match, but the long term one is to qualify for the Asian Cup in 2027. We will get 6-7 games before the Asian Cup qualifiers," Marquez said.

"So, these two upcoming tournaments (Intercontinental Cup and VFF Tri-Nation Series) are important so that we can be in good seeding during the draw (for the Asian Cup qualifiers) in December this year."

Indian players must play abroad, even if it's in lower division

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"The best players will have to play at the best level, against stronger opponents. That is how you grow as a player. That is why more Indian players should play in the ISL. That is why my advice to Indian players is to play abroad even if it is lower division leagues.

"They will learn more and improve more (by playing abroad). But the Indian players are comfortable playing in the ISL, in India but I want them to play abroad," Marquez said, adding that Indian football has improved in the last five years but can improve further.

Marquez also said he will pick I-League players for the national team, if they have the requisite level.

Asked what is lacking in an Indian player as seen in his five-year association with the country at club level, he said, "It's the mentality of the players, we need to improve on this. We have to develop that we can do something, we have to be stronger in mentality.

"If the mentality is right, we will get good results. I am optimistic that Indian football will improve step by step and reach the desired place."